Illuminating device



Feb. 12, 1963 w. SQUIER ILLUMINATING DEVICE Filed 061;. 28, 1960 United States Patent O 3,077,537 ILLUMINATING DEVICE Wells Squier, 1712 SE. 19th Ave., Pompano Beach, Fla. Filed Oct, 28, 1960, Ser. No. 65,749 4 Claims. (Cl. 24U- 81) The present invention relates to an illuminating device, and more particularly, to an electric illuminating lamp of the type wherein the light fixture housing the electric light is secured to the end of a swinging arm to provide for positioning of the lamp.

Electric lamps are known wherein the light fixture is pivotally supported on pivoting arms, extension arms, and the like, which permit for selectively positioning the light fixture in a desired position so as to direct the available light therefrom in a selected direction. One such commonly available lamp is provided with resilient or spring means for holding the light .fixture in the selected position. `Other such lamps provide for the light fixture to =be held in the selected position by frictional forces. Moreover, electric lamps employing a fluorescent light are becoming increasingly popular. Present-day commercially available fluorescent lights are generally of the type which require a relatively high voltage for starting the light and which thereafter exhibit a negative resistance characteristic so that means must be provided for limiting the current flow therethrough. It is cornmon to provide ballasting means for such fluorescent lights, which ballasting means may take the form of a 'ballast or high reactance transformer.

Moreover, electric lamps must be attractive in appearance in order to get consumer acceptance and must be economically and readily manufactured in order that they may be sold at competitive prices in a highly competitive field.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved illuminating lamp.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a -swinging arm electric lamp having a new and improved swivel joint between the li-ght fixture and base thereof.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a swinging arm electric lamp having new and improved means for counterbalancing the light fixture housing the electric light.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds and the features of novelty which characterize the invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.

Briefly, the improved illuminating lamp according to the present invention is provided with a base having a horizontally disposed split ring-shaped support portion. A ball or spherical member of larger diameter than the support portion is positioned on the support portion so as to provide a swivel joint of the ball-and-ring type. A swinging arm is secured intermediate its ends to the spherical member at a point where the arm will balance at the center of gravity, with the arm extending through the ring-shaped support portion. An electric light fixture housing an electric light, preferably a fluorescent light, such as a circular fluorescent light, is mounted at the upper end of the arm and a counterbalance such as the ballast for the fluorescent light is secured to the lower end of the arm to provide for balancing the lamp in any selected position.

The nature of the invention will best be understood when described in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a lamp according 3,077,537 Patented Feb. 12, 1963 to the present invention and illustrating various selectable positions of the light fixture;

FIG. y2, is a front elevational view of the lamp with the light fixture shown in one of its selectable positions;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the details of the swivel joint between the swinging arm and the base according to the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is a partial side elevational View, in section, illustrating the light fixture.

Referring now to the drawing, there is illustrated an improved electric illuminating lamp 10 according to the present invention and comprising a base or stand, shown generally at 12, and a lamp or stem portion 14, which is pivotally connected to the stand 12. The stand 12 is formed of a bent pipe or rod 18, which may be coated with a protective and beautifying coating of suitable material. The stand 12 may include a main post or stand portion 20 extending in a somewhat vertical direction and supported at its lower end by a plurality of legs 22, one of which may be formed integral with the main post 20 and the remainder of which may be secured thereto in any convenient manner such as 'by welding. At the upper end of the main post 20, the rod 16 is bent in a generally horizontal direction to form a horizontal supporting arm 24 supporting at its lfree end a horizontally dispo-sed split ring-shaped support portion 26l substantially in the form of a circle but having a free end 26a thereof spaced apart from its other end 26b to form an opening 26a (FIG. 3) in the ring-shaped portion 26.

yIn order to pivotally connect the lamp portion 14 to the stand 1.2, there is provided a spherical member or ball socket 30 positioned on the support portion 26 and of slightly larger diameter than the diameter of the ringshaped support portion 26. The lamp portion 14 additionally includes a swinging arm or elongated hollow tubular stem 32 extending through the spherical member 30 and secured to the spherical member 30 intermediate its ends at a point where the ar-m will balance at the center of gravity. The ends of the arm 32 extend on opposite sides of the support portion 26 so that the arm 32 extends through the support portion and is held on the support portion 26 by the spherical member 3'0. The arm 32 may have any desired shape in order to provide a pleasing appearance and to support the light fixture and the ballast and starter unit. As illustrated, the arm 32. includes an upper portion 32a extending upwardly from the spherical member 30, and a lower portion 32h extending downwardly from the spherical member 30, and which may be bent or otherwise form a slight angle with the upper portion 32a. At the upper end of the upper portion 3241 is a light supporting arm portion 32e having a hinge member 34 at its free end.

To provide for directing the light in any desired vertical angle, there is provided a light `fixture 36 housing a lfluorescent light bulb or tube 37, here shown as a circular fluorescent light bulb, and hingedly attached to the hinge member 34 through another hinge member 38. As best seen in FIG. 4, the light fixture 36 encloses a fluorescent light 37 between an aluminum shade 40 and a refractor 42 of transparent plastic or other translucent material, and is positioned below a reflector or support plate 44. The fluorescent light 37 is supported from the reflector 44 by a plurality of light clamps 46; and the shade 40, the refractor 42, and the reflector 44 are held in assembled relation by a threaded member 48. A switch 50 extends below the refractor 42 at the center thereof and is electrically connected to the fluorescent light circuit to provide for control of the fluorescent light.

In order to counterbalance ar-m 32 supporting the light fixture 36, there is provided counterbalance means at .thelower end of the arm 32 which may include an extra weight housing 52 enclosing a ballast and starter unit 54 for the iluorescent light, here shown as a high reactance ballast transformer. To provide means for connecting the lamp to a source of electrical energy, there is provided an electric cord, fragmentarily illustrated at 56, and-connected to the ballast and starter unit `54. Other additional'electrical means (not shown) extend 'internally through the hollow stem 32 from the-ballast and starter unit 54 to the switch'fSO and to the fluorescent light bulb 3-7 supported within the light fixture 36.

In order to provide for assembly or removal of the lamp portion -14 from the stand 12, the opening 26e in the split ring-shaped support portion 26 is at least as large as the diameter or minimum thickness of the arm 32 so that the larm portion 14 may be positioned there- :through with fthe arm 32 extending through the support -26 and the spherical member 30V resting on the support portion 26. Of course, it is to be understood that if the diameter. or thickness of the housing 52 is less than the 'inner diameter of the support portion 26, the lamp portion v14 may be assembled therewith without the provision of theopening 26e.

As indicated in phantom in fFIG. l, the arm 32 of the .improved electric illuminating lamp is readily swingable to any desired and selected position, not only pivotally about the swivel joint formed Iby the spherical member 30 and the support portion 26, for example, from the arm position A illustrated in solid to the position B illustrated in phantom or the position C also illustrated in phantom; but the arm 32 may be rotated simultaneously .or independently of such pivoting about its longitudinal axis `so as to pivot the supporting arm portion 32C with reference to the upper portion 32a, for example, .from the position illustrated at A and B to the position illustrated at C. Moreover, the light fix- -ture 36may be pivoted about the hingemembens 34 and 38 -to provide for adjustment of the vertical angle at :which the-light is directed, for example, from the position illustrated in `solid at A to the `phantom at D.

yFrom ythe above description, the many advantages of position illustrated in `the new and improved electrioilluminating lampv will .beapparent A swinging arm lamp has been provided which, `due to the counterbalancing by the yballast and lstarter unit,I .will retain*v the llightnixture in the desired selected position. Moreover, a wide angle of adjustment is provided, not only 'in the swinging and rotation 4of the arm 32, but lin the pivoting of the light 4tix-ture 36. YComplete exibility is provided without any tendency for :the lamp 10 .to tip over since the center of gravity is always acting through -the center line of the support portion 126. As the ballast and starter Iunit is -used as .the.counterweight, the lamp 10 may be economically manufactured.

.While a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described by way of illustration, many modifications will occur to those skilled in the art, for example, the light'fxture may house an incandescent light rather than a iluorescent light. It is intended,

therefore, in the appended claims to cover all such modiiications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A lamp comprising a stand, a ring-shaped member supported from the upper end of said stand, said ringshaped member being supported in a generally horizontal position, a supporting arm, a light fixture secured to one end offsaid arm, a counterbalance secured to the other end of said arm, a spherical member of larger diameter than said ring-shaped member secured to said arm at the center of gravity lof said arm, said light iixture and said counterbalance, said spherical member being supported on said ring-shaped member with a portion of said arm and said counterbalance disposed on one side of said ring-shaped member and the other portion of said arm and said light fixture disposed on the other side of said ring-shaped member whereby said light fixture will remain in whatever position to which it has been moved but can readily be moved to any other position.

2. The lamp of claim 1 wherein the ring-shaped member comprises a split ring including an opening in the ring sufficiently large to'permit said arm to pass therethrough.

3. The lamp of claim 1 wherein said light xture is disposed above said ring-shaped member.

4. An electric lamp comprising a stand, a ring-shaped member supported from'the upper end of said stand, said ring-shaped member being supported in a generally horizontal position, a supporting arm, a iluorescent light fixture for housing a iluorescent light secured to one end of said arm, ballast means for said iluorescent light secured to the other end of said arm, a spherical member of larger diameter than said ring-shaped member secured to said arm at the center of gravity of said arm, said light ixture including said uorescent light and said ballast means, said spherical member being supported on said ring-shaped member with a portion of said arm and said ballast means disposed below said ring-shaped member and the other portion of said arm and said light xture disposed above said ringashaped member whereby said light -fixture will remain in whatever position to which it has been moved but can readily be moved to any other position.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS (2nd Adan. te 1,034,488) 

1. A LAMP COMPRISING A STAND, A RING-SHAPED MEMBER SUPPORTED FROM THE UPPER END OF SAID STAND, SAID RINGSHAPED MEMBER BEING SUPPORTED IN A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL POSITION, A SUPPORTING ARM, A LIGHT FIXTURE SECURED TO ONE END OF SAID ARM, A COUNTERBALANCE SECURED TO THE OTHER END OF SAID ARM, A SPHERICAL MEMBER OF LARGER DIAMETER THAN SAID RING-SHAPED MEMBER SECURED TO SAID ARM AT THE CENTER OF GRAVITY OF SAID ARM, SAID LIGHT FIXTURE AND SAID COUNTERBALANCE, SAID SPHERICAL MEMBER BEING SUPPORTED ON SAID RING-SHAPED MEMBER WITH A PORTION OF SAID ARM AND SAID COUNTERBALANCE DISPOSED ON ONE SIDE OF SAID RING-SHAPED MEMBER AND THE OTHER PORTION OF SAID ARM AND SAID LIGHT FIXTURE DISPOSED ON THE OTHER SIDE OF SAID RING-SHAPED MEMBER WHEREBY SAID LIGHT FIXTURE WILL REMAIN IN WHATEVER POSITION TO WHICH IT HAS BEEN MOVED BUT CAN READILY BE MOVED TO ANY OTHER POSITION. 